Your car most likely has a “black box,” akin to a flight data recorder in a plane, that tracks your speed, seat belt use, skidding, swerving, erratic driving and so forth. It records the last 45 pieces of information about your driving and is updated constantly.

Your insurance company, the police or other authorities can use the information from your box (called an Event Data Recorder or EDR) and use it against you. You do not own the box and have no ability to control its information.

Senators John Hoeven (R-ND) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn) have introduced legislation to give you ownership of the box and to restrict any use of the information without your consent.

Originally developed to find the causes of car crashes, the National Transportation Safety Board is requiring it in all cars sold in the U.S. by September, 2014.

As technology evolves, the box will likely contain more and more information, making the case for this legislation all the more compelling.

Please sign this petition to back the Hoeven-Klobuchar bill to give you control over the information on your car’s black box. We will tell your Congressman and your Senators of your support for this bill.